Apparatus for packing loose materials, particularly fibrous materials



y 7, 1954 E. ROTHWELL 2,684,802

APPARATUS FOR PACKING LOOSE MATERIALS, PARTICULARLY Y FIBROUS MATERIALS Filed Sept. 14, 1951 v 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ERr/ssr Ro-rHwE 1.1..

E. ROTHWELL 2,684,802 KING LOOSE MATERIALS, PARTICULARL FIBROUS MATERIALS July 27, 1954 APPARATUS FOR PAC 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 14, 1951 FIE. 4.

INVENTOR ERNEST Ra'rH k/ELL Patented July 27, 1954 APPARATUS FOR PACKING LOOSE MATE- RIALS, PARTICULARLY FIBROUS MATE- RIALS Ernest Rothwell, Manchester, England, assignor to Henry Wheatley & Sons, Limited, Mil-field,

England Application September 14, 1951, Serial N 0. 246,695

Claims priority, application Great Britain September 23, 1950 Claims.

The invention relates to apparatus for use in packing loose materials, particularly fibrous materials.

In the production of woolen yarns, for instance, it is customary to make blends of the various colours of loose WO01 required to produce yarns of the desired colour or shade.

The mixed or blended wools are then packed into sheets or containers until required for use, and it is with the packing or consolidation of the material into the sheets or containers with which the invention is primarily concerned, though the apparatus constituting the invention will or may [find useful application in other directions for packing or consolidating loose fibrous or other material into containers.

The invention will be described With reference to the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in cross-section; and

Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in cross-section of packing apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of means for enabling material fed to the machine to be diverted to any other point of delivery either at will or automatically as will be described later.

Fig. 4 shows in an open position doors which are shown in a closed position in Fig. 2, Fig. 4 being a fragmentary partly sectional view of part of the apparatus of Fig. 2. Referring to the drawings, material to be packed is conveyed by a suitably impelled air current along a feed conduit 17 to the upper end of an open-topped hopper or receiving chamber c having suitably perforated Walls. The lower end of the hopper 0 opens into the path of a reciprocating ram d, shown as being operated by a cable e passed about a winch ,f driven by a reversing electric motor g.

Loose fibrous material delivered into the hopper 0 falls into the path of movement of the ram d by which it is forced into a packing chamber 72. at the entrance to which there are provided two pivoted doors 2', i, loaded by respective springs z',-i'

As will be seen from Fig. 2, the doors 2', i, are in the form of quarter circles the reason for this being to prevent trapping of material behind them when being opened, as would occur if the doors were in the form of flaps or plates. The springs z", 2', have merely the function of closing the doors as the ram d recedes. Fig. 4 shows the doors 2', i in their open position, to which they are moved when the ram d has moved into the tubular portion h.

Suitably mounted on the ram d are four ramps 1d, d d and d The ramps d and d are arranged to operate a two-way switch d controlling, through the motor g, what may be referred to as the short-stroke reciprocation of the ram d, the length of which is indicated in Fig. 1 by the disposition of the ramp d in relation to the ramp at.

At the delivery end of the packing chamber it there are provided two pivoted doors 7', 5i, loaded by respective springs a", the action of which is adjustable.

The loading imposed on the doors a, determines, as will be understood, the amount of compression exerted on the material forced into the packing chamber h by the ram d.

When the compression of material in the packing chamber reaches the pro-determined value it causes the doors 7', to be opened and at a determined point in the opening movement of the doors a switch is closed against the action of a spring. The closing of this switch is is arranged to change over from the switch d to a switch m operable by the ramps d and d on the ram d, the ramp 01 being so located in relation to the ramp d as shown in Fig. 1, that the ram id is now given a long stroke of reciprocation, such that the compressed mass of material in the packing chamber h is ejected past the doors 7, a.

Before each compressing operation commences, the open end of a tubular bag or container n is passed over the discharge end of the packing chamber It. When the compressed mass of mate rial in the packing chamber is discharged by the long-stroke movement of the ram d, it enters and carries with it the bag n which thus becomes filled, and is thereby pushed off the delivery end of the packing chamber. As the filled bag moves away from the packing chamber it is deposited upon a wheel-ed trolley p positioned beneath it, the forward end of such trolley having an upwardly projecting part 20, the abutment against which of the end of the forwardly moving bag it causes the trolley to travel forwardly along with the bag and thus to support the full length of the bag as it passes oir" the packing chamber.

An adjustable stop, not shown, is provided to arrest the movement of the trolley go away from the packing chamber a predetermined time before the ram (1 completes its ejecting stroke, so that the portion of material near the mouth of the bag n receives what may be termed a final compressing action to cause it to move fully into the open end of the bag n.

As the ram 1d arrives at the forward end of its long-stroke or ejecting movement, the ramp d opens the switch m. This interrupts the electric circuit and operates a relay, not shown, to change over the "ram movement from long stroke back to short stroke.

When the loaded bag has been carried clear of the packing chamber and the ram has moved sufiiciently far in its movement of withdrawal the springs acting on the doors 4,6105% the said tacts-either member r -or member 1" tocut off the current to the motors and thereby prevent the-occurrence of an accident.

.Inorder to obvlatethepossibility of damage or blocking of-the feed conduit 1) due to material piling up in'thehopper c, there may be provided in the iowerpart of the hopper a roller s driven irictionally through a centrifugal clutch s from an electric motors? This roller controls a switch s which, when the rotation of the roller 8 is arrested by accumulation of material in the hopper, is adapted to reverse'the direction of rotation of tin-electric motor t (Fig. 3). This motor is connectedby'belt or chain. gearing t to a rotatable disc This disc carries a pin a which is adapted, according to the-direction of its rotation to engage either one or the other of two fingers u and dependingirorn a horizontally slidable bar 1L This barisconnected by flexible connectorsu and a to acentrally pivoted lever 11 carrying a divertingplate adapted to control the entrance to a relief passage- '0 Solong as the roller s-is free to rotate, the bar tfiiscausedto occupy-a positionin'which the plate 2) closes the relief passage o ,-"out if the rotation of the roller s is arrested the switch 3 causes the direction of rotation of the motort to be reversed, with the result .thatthe bar 2& is moved longitudinally in the direetion of the arrow '3 in Fig. 3, causing the lever 22 to be rocked insadirection to swing the plate over from the position in which-it closes the-relief passage "0 tothat in whichit opens up the entranceto. such passage and closes the entrance to the feed conduit b. The material approaching through the supply conduit a .is thus diverted from the feed conduit 12 into the relief passageifi, through'which it is conveyed to any desired delivery point.

Above the roller 3 there is provided in the hopper 0 a deflector w by which material entering the hopper from the feed conduit is prevented'from falling on to the roller s.

'Atthe lower end of the hopper c, above-the path ofreciproeation of the ram d, there is provided a freely-pivoted lever y which rises and falls as the ram reciprocates and the function of which is to prevent the material packing or filling the lower end of the hopper above the ram.

The switch 8 may be arranged, in additionto actuating the diverting plate a, to operate an electrically-operated valvecontrolling a supply of oil tothe materialbeing dealt with, and tocut off'such supply duringdiversion of the material through the relief passage 0 In connection with the switch It there may be 4 provided a push-button control to enable the contents of the packing chamber to be discharged at any time independently of the automatic opening or" the doors 'y'yy'jby the action of'tthe compressed material in the packingchamber' h.

It will be noted that by varying the action of the springs controlling the opening of the doors -i,.-y',theamount-of compression applied to the 'mat-erialbefore entering the bag "It can be regulated as desired.

Provision will or may be made to give audible and/ortvisual' signals'prior to discharge of material into orirom the packing chamber h.

Having thus described my invention, what I :clainr aslnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. 'Balingapparatus for loos fibrous materials comprising a conduit along which the material is impelled by an air current, a hopper having perforated walls and into which the material is delivered, a1 ram reciprocable-beneath the lower end ofthe hopper, a packing: chamber into which the material is forced by the ram, a pair of springloaded :delivery doors at "the -.entrance of and openingintosaid chamber, a pair of spring-loaded doors at the opposite: end of saidv packing chamber adapted to be opened bythe material in the chamber 'when such material "attains a' degree of compression determined .by the spring-loading of saiddelivery doors, -anopen-endcd bag passed overthe' delivery end of thepaeking chamber to receive the compressed material: as it leaves .the packing chamber, awheeled trolley-to receivethe filled-bagvas it isforced off thelend ofthepacking chamber by thefilling: of .it with compressed material, and means to vary the length of-stroke of the whenthematerial-has been compressed in thepacking.chamber-tdthe .predetermined degree from one adapted-to compresszthe material within the packing chamber to one adapted todischarge the-compressed material from the. packing chamber intothe bag-positioned over the deliveryend. of saidchamber.

.2. Baling apparatusaccording to claim..1.further: characterised: by' the l provision of means to divert the supply of vmaterial from the hopper in the event of the :hopper becoming-.-choked.

3. Baling apparatus. according .-to.claim..1, further characterised by the; provision in thehopper of a diverting plate having twoangularly related positions, one-to divert material and the other to retain material-m1 the: hopper and a f rictionallydriven roller the arrest. of rotation of which :by

undue accumulation. ofmaterial within .the hopper is adapted. to alter the angularposition of. said diverting .plate and thereby to. divertth supply of materialirom the hopper-toany otheridesired deliveryhpoint.

4. Baling apparatus according to .claim-3 further characterized by theprovision. of aideflector device in the hopper above said frictionally-driven roller tov prevent material entering .the hopper from iallingdirectly onto said frictionally-driven roller. g

5. Baling apparatus according to claim 1 further characterised .by the provision at the lower end of the hopper or a freely pivoted lever. adapted to swingdown into. a position inffront of. the ram when the latterlis withdrawn .from the-packing chamber .and tone moved upwardly when the rammoves towards. the. packingchamber.

6. Packing. apparatus comprising, in' combination, elongated guide means; anlelongated ram movably mounte'd on said guide means'ior r oiprocation therealong; an elongated tubular portion connected to said guide means and forming an extension thereof, said tubular portion having opposite open ends so that said ram moves into and out of said tubular portion; conduit means communicating with said tubular portion between said ends thereof for supplying material to be packed thereto; reciprocating means operatively connected to said ram for reciprocating same along said guide means so as to move said ram into and out of said tubular portion to move material supplied to the latter to the free open end thereof distant from said ram and into a bag or the like located about said distant free open end of said tubular portion; door means turnably mounted on said tubular portion between said ends thereof and extending into saidtubular portion to be engaged by material ahead of said ram to be moved out of said tubular portion so that the material is moved past said door means and toward said distant free end of said tubular portion; and spring means operatively connected to said door means for urging the latter into said tubular portion to a closed position so as to thereby prevent movement of material being packed past said door means back toward said ram.

7. Packing apparatus comprising, in combination, elongated guide means; an elongated ram movably mounted on said guide means for reciprocation therealong; an elongated tubular portion connected to said guide means and forming an extension thereof, said tubular portion having opposite open ends so that said ram moves into and out of said tubular portion; conduit means communicating with said tubular portion between said ends thereof for supplying material to be packed thereto; electrical reciprocating means operatively connected to said ram for reciprocating same along said guide means so as to move said ram into and out of said tubular portion to move material supplied to the latter to the free open end thereof distant from said ram and into a bag or the like located about said distant free open end of said tubular portion; door means turnably mounted on said tubular portion between said ends thereof and extending into said tubular portion to be engaged by material ahead of said ram to be moved out of said tubular portion so that the material is moved past said door means and toward said distant free end of said tubular portion; spring means operatively connected to said door means for urging the latter into said tubular portion to a closed position so as to thereby prevent movement of material being packed past said door means back toward said ram; a plurality of switch operating members fixed to said ram for movement therewith; and a plurality of switches operatively connected to said electrical reciprocating means for controlling the latter and being located in the path of said switch operating members to be operated thereby.

8. Packing apparatus comprising, in combination, elongated guide means; an elongated ram movably mounted on said guide means for reciprocation therealong; an elongated tubular portion connected to said guide means and forming an extension thereof, said tubular portion having opposite open ends so that said ram moves into and out of said tubular portion; conduit means communicating with said tubular portion between said ends thereof for supplying material to be packed thereto; reciprocating means operatively connected to said ram for reciprocating same along said guide means so as to move said ram into and out of said tubular portion to move material supplied to the latter to the free open end thereof distant from said ram and into a bag or the like located about said distant free open end of said tubular portion; first door means turnably mounted on said tubular portion between said ends thereof and extending into said tubular portion to be engaged by material ahead of said ram to be moved out of said tubular portion so that the material is moved past said first door means and toward said distant free end of said tubular portion; first spring means operatively connected to said first door means for urging the latter into said tubular portion to a closed position so as to thereby prevent movement of material being packed past said first door means back toward said ram; second door means located at said distant free end of said tubular portion; second spring means operatively connected to said secend door means for holding the latter in a closed position within said tubular portion so as to prevent movement of material being packed out or said tubular portion until the force of said ram is greater than the force of said second spring means; and electrical operating means operatively connected to said reciprocating means and said second door means for controlling said reciprocating means to move said ram to a greater extent into said tubular portion when said second door means is moved by a predetermined distance against the action of said second spring means away from the closed position thereof.

9. Packing apparatus comprising, in combination, elongated guide means; an elongated ram movably mounted on said guide means for reciprocation therealong; an elongated tubular portion connected to said guide means and forming an extension thereof, said tubular portion having opposite open ends so that said ram moves into and out of said tubular portion; conduit means communicating with said tubular portion between said ends thereof for supplying material to be packed thereto; reciprocating means operatively connected to said ram for reciprocating same along said guide means so as to move said ram into and out of said tubular portion to move material supplied to the latter to the free open end thereof distant from said ram and into a bag or the like located about said distant free open end of said tubular portion; door means turnably mounted on said tubular portion between said ends thereof and extending into said tubular portion to be engaged by material ahead of said ram to be moved out of said tubular portion so that the material is moved past said door means and toward said distant free end of said tubular portion; spring means operatively connected to said door means for urging the latter into said tubular portion to a closed position so as to thereby prevent movement of material being packed past said door means back toward said ram; supply means operatively connected to said conduit means for supplying material to be packed thereto; and control means located in said conduit means and being operatively connected to said supply means for preventing the latter from supplying material to said conduit means when the material becomes accumulated beyond a predetermined extent in said conduit means.

10. Packing apparatus comprising, in combination, elongated guide means; an elongated ram movably mounted on said guide means for reciprocation therealong; an elongated tubular "portion connectedto sai'd 'guide means andlform- 'ing an extension thereof, said tubular portion having opposite open ends .-so :thatsaid ram moves intoand out of said tubular portion; conduit means communicating with said tubular portion between said ends thereof for supplying material to be packed -thereto; reciprocating means operatively connected tousaidz ramior 're cipi'ocating same along 'said guide means so as to move said-ram into 'an'd out of said tubular portion to move material-supplied to the latter to. the free open endithereof 'distant'from: said ram and into a bag orthe' like located about said 'distant'freeiopen iendzofsaid tubular portion;

- door means Iturnably mounted on said tubular portion between'said ends thereof and extending into said tubular 'portion to be: engaged by material ahead-of said ram' to be moved out of said tubular portion so 1 that l the material is moved -pastsaid oloonmeansand towardasai'd distant "supplying material to be packe'd thereto; and control means located inxsaid conduitmeansran'd being 'operatively connected to said supply means "ion-preventing the latter horn-supplying materialto said conduit means Whenthe material becomes accumulate'dbeyond a predetermined extent in said conduit means, said-control means being'in the-form of-a toothedshatt turnably -mounted inlsaid conduit means, a slip clutch -connected'to said shaft, turning means-connected to said'slip clutch to drivevsaid shaft through said slip clutch, a valve member located over said conduit means 'for closing and opening the latter, electrical moving means connected to said valve member for moving the same between open and closd positions respectively opening :and closing said conduit means, and a switch connected to said-electrical moving means and said'shaft for actuating saidzelectricalmoving means to move'said-valve-fromthe open to the closed position thereof When said-shaft is:pre vented from turning-by material accumulated in said'conduit means.

l teferencesifiited'incthe file ofsthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 942,257 Hansen Dec. .7, 1909 1,045,391 Grraf Nov. 26, 1912 2,476,475 -Baum .July 19, 1949 

